Dozens of trees have been planted at Point Loma’s Liberty Station in recent weeks, with dozens more slated to be planted in the near future.
Thirty new trees have been planted at NTC Park off Cushing Road, and 56 more are anticipated along Womble Road.
NTC Park
The San Diego Parks Foundation, a nonprofit that assists the city of San Diego in closing funding gaps, planted the 30 trees at NTC Park over the weekend of June 22.
Last year, the group announced that 148 new trees would be planted at six parks across the city as part of a larger urban greening initiative.
Leona Sublett, president and chief executive of the Parks Foundation, said the new trees at NTC Park are part of that initiative and are the first phase of a three-phase replanting effort there.
“Across the city … literally every week we are planting trees at identified parks of need,” Sublett said. “We’re continuing to move through that process.”
Each of the three phases of the Parks Foundation’s NTC initiative will install 30 trees, totaling 90 upon completion. The second phase is anticipated in 2025, and the third in 2026.
The first phase installed seven purple trumpet trees, six strawberry trees and 17 holly oak trees. The foundation plans to plant more purple trumpets and holly oaks in the future phases, as well as an unannounced additional species.
In light of a weevil infestation that harmed and killed many palm trees in the San Diego area, including several at NTC Park, the group focused on introducing species of trees that were resistant to drought and infestation, according to former Parks Foundation president Martha Philips.
“We want to make sure that when we are replenishing … that whatever species we are putting into the area they are native to the area, making sure it’s the right species of tree or plant … to have that long-term sustainability,” Sublett said.
Only one type of palm tree, the species known colloquially as the California fan palm, is the only one that is native to the United States — more specifically, the Colorado and Mojave deserts.
Because NTC is a city park, “we worked very closely with the city of San Diego Parks & Rec team, and they have an arborist on staff that studies the different areas and advises us on what type of species will have the greatest success in the long term.”
The first phase of the NTC project cost an estimated $40,000, and Sublett said each of the subsequent phases will cost as much.
“There are, of course, private individual donors that give, but we also work with organizations and grantors, so it’s a combination of grant funding and individual donor funding and also corporate funding,” Sublett said. “For instance, SDG&E is one of our corporate funders for our tree planting initiative, and the San Diego Foundation and their private donors as well.”
Beyond the planting, the Parks Foundation is working with Parks & Rec on maintenance to ensure the new trees last.
“[We] want to make sure they can endure the weather and the elements,” Sublett said. “There’s not somebody there daily doing the watering like there would be in a private residence. We want to make sure the species can survive on its own.”
Technology called Treeplotter uses GPS tracking to keep tabs on the trees. “We check in every few months, making sure they’re thriving and see if they need a boost,” Sublett said.
A goal of the urban greening effort is to help the city meets its Climate Action Plan goal of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, but Sublett said the trees also benefit the community by creating a relaxing atmosphere.
“There’s that balance to make sure we have that green canopy, those sources of shade and all of the things that come with the benefits to our environments and our communities that make our spaces welcoming,” Sublett said. “These are things that can also be around for generations to come, and I think the importance of the trees is having those deep roots and when you go through our urban areas to have that balance with these green spaces that just bring a sense of peace and calm and that connection to the natural environment, even though we’re in an urban area. …
“Trees help reduce stormwater runoff, save energy, biodiversity, create habitats for various species and contribute to climate resilience by reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.”
Sublett said three more parks will be selected for planting this year.
Womble Road
Meanwhile, a few blocks away, a different project at Liberty Station is working to replace 47 trees along Womble Road near High Tech High and High Tech Middle schools as part of a five-year landscape renovation plan that also will include reshaping nearby bushes.
Sarah Olsen, a property manager with the Liberty Station Community Association, which maintains the common areas of Liberty Station, said the trees were removed because of their troublesome overgrowth.
“There were a few problems,” she said. “They were overgrown for the space [they were in]. They were very beautiful, mature trees. However, they were creating root issues, not only as trip issues but they were invasive in the city plumbing as well as the buildings in the area.”
Olsen emphasized that the current project will add more trees than it takes out, resulting in 56 new trees for the area. Species being planted include Podocarpus gracilior (fern pine), Cinnamomum camphora (camphor tree) and little gem magnolia.
She said the replanting is expected to be completed by the time school starts in mid-August.
“We didn’t want to just take out trees and not replant anything,” Olsen said. “We want the species that are going in to be more viable for the area to make it safer for the students who frequent the space during the school year.
“The biggest issue that we did have and what we’re trying to mitigate for the future is the root issue. We wanted to use species that will not cause that long-term problem with trip hazards and get into the plumbing, the sewer and the building structure.”
Olsen said the association works with in-house employees as well as vendors and that the landscapers working on the project have worked with schools across San Diego.
